With baseball's best record at 56-32, the Dodgers have had a historic first half of the season. Clutch hitting, comeback wins, and that guy getting suspended 50 games have been the major highlights. Let's take a look at the highs and lows thus far:
The Good
Best record in baseball. That's really all I have to say about that. By winning nearly 64% of their games, the Dodgers hold a lead over the Red Sox by two games.
Comeback victories. Countless times the Dodgers have won it the dramatic way with big hits coming late. From the seventh inning on, they're hitting a whopping .296, by far the best in baseball. There's really no counting this team out.
Pitching. Their team ERA is 3.58, second only to the Giants. As usual, the pitching has been stellar. Even with the subtractions of Brad Penny, Greg Maddux, Derek Lowe, Takashi Saito, and Joe Beimel, the staff has continued to step up and lead the way. Also, they lead the league in ERA with runners in scoring position.
Dominance on the road. They have the most wins on the road with 28. Plus, they've already played six more games on the road than at home, so they'll be closer to home in the second half.
Bench leadership. Mark Loretta, Juan Castro, and Brad Ausmus have been awesome off the bench. Every situation they're put into, from spot starts to late-inning replacements, they've excelled. Most importantly, the Dodgers haven't skipped a beat with them in there.
Juan Pierre. I don't think many people would have envisioned this, but he was an All-Star while filling in for Manny Ramirez. He has a .328 AVG, .387 OBP, and 23 steals. An argument can easily be made that he's the most valuable player of the first half.
Manny Ramirez (on the field). Before and after his suspension, there's no denying that he's still one of the top hitters in baseball. In only 36 games, he's hitting .355 with an incredible .487 OBP, 9 homers, and 29 RBIs.
Casey Blake. I still think he should have gotten way more All-Star consideration. But, at .285 with 12 homers and 55 RBIs, I'll be more than happy to take that. Most importantly, his glove has been great.
Orlando Hudson. His cycle in the home opener was a sign of things to come. While an ice cold June made his average go down to .283, he still has 24 doubles, seven home runs, and 44 RBIs. Plus, his Gold Glove caliber defense is on display every night.
Matt Kemp. Quietly, he's put together some great numbers. He's at a .320 AVG, .384 OBP, six triples, 11 homers, 50 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases. And, as I've said about the previous two guys, his defense has been terrific as well.
Andre Ethier. His average is only .250, but 18 homers and 56 RBIs are legit. He's been the key figure in late-inning heroics.
Chad Billingsley. He was absolutely red hot to start the year, but has cooled off recently. Still, there's no denying he's earned his All-Star berth with a 9-4 record, 3.38 ERA, and 119 strikeouts. He's the team ace.
Randy Wolf. If only the Dodgers could give him more run support, he'd be in St. Louis right now. His record is a mere 4-3, but his 3.45 ERA and 1.17 WHIP show how great he's been.
Clayton Kershaw. The current run he's been on for the last six games have been incredible. When he's on, he's practically unhittable. He still walks too many, but with a 3.16 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 99.2 innings, he's doing something right.
Ramon Troncoso and Ronald Belisario. I'll group these two together because there's so many similarities. They've both come out of nowhere, and both have been huge in late innings. Combined, they've thrown 105 innings, giving up 88 hits, striking out 80, and giving up only four homers. Both have sub-2.50 ERAs. Just a fantastic job by these two.
Jonathan Broxton. With 20 saves and 65 strikeouts in 40.2 innings, he's one of the top closers in the game.
The Bad.
Manny's 50-game suspension. Even if the Dodgers played great ball with him out, it's a shame the whole thing ever had to go down. It was pretty embarrassing to say the least. Thankfully, it's over.
Russell Martin. It's hard to believe how lost he's been at the plate most of this year. He's had a couple of really bad months during April and June which has caused him to be at .258 right now. And, he only has two homers. Hopefully that turns around soon.
Rafael Furcal. He was in the mid to low .200's through the first three months. A hot July has raised his average to .256. It seems like he's finally starting to settle in.
Hong-Chih Kuo. Whoa, has he struggled. He's been shelved for awhile with elbow problems, which most likely explain his 6.75 ERA. He was a top reliever last year, and hasn't even come close to that this season. Anything they get out of him the rest of this season would be a bonus.
James McDonald. Perhaps a little unfair to put the kid on this list. But, he was the fifth starter coming out of spring training, and pretty much pitched his way out of that. With a 4.70 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, he's now back in the bullpen.
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